Innovative Measures for Ensuring Food Safety in the Food Value Chain

Abstract

Food safety is a major research topic due to the increasing concern of consumers with public health related issues, along with the stronger sanitary standards set for international trade. To face these constraints and ensure prevention and control of food contaminants, it is essential to implement Food Quality Management Systems (FQMS) and Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) based on the application of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) method and its prerequisites (Good Practices) throughout the food value chain. However, considering only the technical or analytical features is not enough for this implementation. There is an urgent need for a systematic/proactive, cost-effective approach towards the control of contaminants and phytosanitary residues along the agri-food chains. Efficient FQMS should take into account the socio-economic context along with the organizational and technological capabilities of the chain stakeholders, including farmers, seed producers, cooperatives, storage and transportation infrastructures, SMEs and big enterprises, as well as market intermediaries and actors. On the other hand, this approach of FQMS establishment could be coupled with a collective scientific expertise, at national or regional level, in order to give insight and recommendations to policy-makers, public health and regulatory authorities. The coupling of these two approaches is an innovative way to make food safety a reality, especially in the specific context of less developed countries. This chapter summarises these innovative measures for food safety implementation in agri-food chains, with illustrations in African, Latin American and Asian countries.